diff --git a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp
index 1525dd2413..04a82f8c4e 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.cpp
@@ -401,6 +401,9 @@ public:
     VariantType_Method() noexcept {}
     static const VariantType_Method instance;
 
+    void cleanUp (ValueUnion& data) const noexcept override                      { if (data.methodValue != nullptr ) delete data.methodValue; }
+    void createCopy (ValueUnion& dest, const ValueUnion& source) const override  { dest.methodValue = new NativeFunction (*source.methodValue); }
+
     String toString (const ValueUnion&) const override               { return "Method"; }
     bool toBool (const ValueUnion& data) const noexcept override     { return data.methodValue != nullptr; }
     bool isMethod() const noexcept override                          { return true; }
@@ -450,7 +453,7 @@ var::var (const int v) noexcept       : type (&VariantType_Int::instance)    { v
 var::var (const int64 v) noexcept     : type (&VariantType_Int64::instance)  { value.int64Value = v; }
 var::var (const bool v) noexcept      : type (&VariantType_Bool::instance)   { value.boolValue = v; }
 var::var (const double v) noexcept    : type (&VariantType_Double::instance) { value.doubleValue = v; }
-var::var (NativeFunction m) noexcept  : type (&VariantType_Method::instance) { value.methodValue = m; }
+var::var (NativeFunction m) noexcept  : type (&VariantType_Method::instance) { value.methodValue = new NativeFunction (m); }
 var::var (const Array<var>& v)        : type (&VariantType_Array::instance)  { value.objectValue = new VariantType_Array::RefCountedArray(v); }
 var::var (const String& v)            : type (&VariantType_String::instance) { new (value.stringValue) String (v); }
 var::var (const char* const v)        : type (&VariantType_String::instance) { new (value.stringValue) String (v); }
@@ -615,7 +618,7 @@ var var::getProperty (const Identifier& propertyName, const var& defaultReturnVa
 
 var::NativeFunction var::getNativeFunction() const
 {
-    return isMethod() ? value.methodValue : nullptr;
+    return isMethod() && (value.methodValue != nullptr) ? *value.methodValue : nullptr;
 }
 
 var var::invoke (const Identifier& method, const var* arguments, int numArguments) const
diff --git a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h
index 46ced1cf9d..071f0a45ad 100644
--- a/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h
+++ b/modules/juce_core/containers/juce_Variant.h
@@ -63,7 +63,11 @@ public:
         JUCE_DECLARE_NON_COPYABLE (NativeFunctionArgs)
     };
 
+   #if JUCE_COMPILER_SUPPORTS_LAMBDAS
+    using NativeFunction = std::function<var (const NativeFunctionArgs&)>;
+   #else
     typedef var (*NativeFunction) (const NativeFunctionArgs&);
+   #endif
 
     //==============================================================================
     /** Creates a void variant. */
@@ -309,7 +313,7 @@ private:
         char stringValue [sizeof (String)];
         ReferenceCountedObject* objectValue;
         MemoryBlock* binaryValue;
-        NativeFunction methodValue;
+        NativeFunction* methodValue;
     };
 
     const VariantType* type;